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Nearly all stories told are reflective of the propaganda culture of the era. Justifying the cult of billionaire exceptionalism has been the theme for a long time.
Yes! I see it in horror movies most clearly, a mirror to our fears, at least after the fact.
Funny. Now you got me thinking. In real life, I wouldn't be rooting for an eccentric Billionaire who thinks he's a superhero, but when I compare the guy with no super powers to Mr. "I can pretty much do whatever I want and I'm practically indestructible" he feels like an underdog and a whole lot cooler.
At least Batman and iron man fit the description. What about the others then? I can’t think of many superheroes who happen to be wealthy.
If they're not wealthy it's usually individuals that are in some way special and exceptional because they have a power by birth, accident or because of a rare doohickey.
Hmm. So that’s where the exceptionalism argument comes from. Kinda makes sense too, since you have to be exceptional to have exceptional powers. Can’t really make a movie about usual people having exceptional powers, now can you. Like, the whole point of the movie is to look at the life of someone who has strange powers, and getting to that point has to be somehow really weird.
Extraordinary is a sitcom where everyone has a power. I really liked it
Oh thanks. Now the following two weeks of my life will be consumed by binging a new TV series. Better start canceling those appointments and then switch my phone off.
Enjoy, i still need to watch season 2
Just watched the first episode, and this stuff is amazing! How come I never heard of this series before. Thanks for the tip!
In project management, we call it "scope creep." Day one, the job is to use your newfound powers for good. Maybe stop a mugging. Day two, catch a bad guy. Day 3, try to balance life and your secret identity while foiling a bank heist. Day 200, you're negotiating with an interdimensional cosmic deity for the survival of the Universe by demonstrating feats of strength and fortitude.
THIS, EXACTLY THIS.
I find it strange to call today's supers "heroes" when the least they do is help others. They look more like guys with superpowers beating each other up, more like Japanese Shonen than anything else (mind you, I like Shonen, but there's a limit).
That's why I love that in The Batman (2022) the climax is seeing Batman saving civilians, the same with James Gunn's Superman.
I WANT TO SEE MORE SUPERHEROES BEING HEROIC, DAMN IT.
*Shonen. That is all.
Isn’t it shounen?
It's 少年. How you want to transliterate that into our alphabet is open to interpretation.
It's both, and also shōnen, it's got several recognized romanizations
The correct transliteration of the Japanese word would be shounen, but as an English loanword both are in use.
Have you watched Thunderbolts and the new Superman? They do actually rescue people (Superman way more).
I was thinking in the theater while watching Thunderbolts: "Huh, a scene where the heroes are rescuing people? I haven't seen that in a long time."
Superman even saved a squirrel. 🤩
I've always felt that superhero stories reduce problems to something that can be solved through violence and, for that reason, dont really like them. After a while, the plots all seem the same, too.
Don't even get me started on ridiculous ones; like Spider man becoming a literally a spider, then felt an instinct to come up to the Spider Queen offering himself to be eaten, then the Spider Queen's stomach burst open only for a new and shiny Peter Parker/Spiderman come out alive as if he had never become a spider. Then, there is Batman becoming addicted to drugs and telling Alfred to lock him up in the Batcave for weeks to detox.
This is why I generally only read critically acclaimed plot lines and stories than having a general comic interests.
I just hate the trend that people want to make villains more generic evil. like how much shit ultraman got for the prescreening when he hits krypto thats actively fighting him. HES A VILLAIN, HES NOT SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD.
What about villains then? Are they still all about bank heists and murdering everyone in the city, or have they shifted to hunting superheroes now? I’m asking because I don’t watch those movies.
There's now story points about villains created by the superheroes who's entire mission is to kill the superheroes in revenge.
Oh wow. The whole superhero genre is really evolving in a strange direction.
I guess that's why people like spiderman most? His constant struggle with the villain because he need to juggle between beating villain and saving civilians. If he just went anti-hero he's pretty much formidable.
This is the cop vs firefighter superhero discussion.
Batman is a cop. The very DNA of the character is almost entirely about fighting crime. His origin starts with a violent crime. Sure he'll save people (the end of the last movie he saves people from a flood) but mostly he's working on crime.
Superman works best as a firefighter. He's rescuing people, controlling and mitigating damage, etc... His origin story is a global catastrophe. He will get into fights, but mostly in service of mitigating damage. He will stop crime, but mostly in service of safety. His main villain isn't a guy who can fight him (generally speaking).
Most characters and stories have a bit of each.
From a screenwriting perspective, an antagonist can provide escalation and give a voice to the challenges the protagonist faces. It's just a very good tool. A Batman movie where he's just getting people out of a burning building (for example) might work, but it would feel off somehow.
Survivor of crime becomes crime-fighter, survivor of catastrophe saves people from disasters.
"Be the person you needed when you were younger" feels applicable.
Superman and Lois.
Almost every episode has a scene where he flies off to help people across the globe.
I like how Invincible addresses this. He tries to save people but it always ends disastrously because normal people break really easily when handled by someone with super strength and speed. His best bet is to take out the villain that is the source of danger.
Invincible has some of that. Going out of his way to save people at the cost of his personal life. Lots of fighting and gore ofc, but still seems a lot more heroic than a lot of Marvel heroes atp.
Eh, most of the old school titles are just too 'Soap Opera ish' for me. It's was supposed to be action and adventure and mystery with good art. Last 2 decades, it's become people coming back from the dead, clones, ridiculous story lines that have nothing to do with the original character.
It's ridiculous.
Indie books and limited series are my go to now. Even those start to run out of gas if they are kept around too long.
there was a Superman comic about him getting cancer and dying. really good, bout the only superhero stuff I liked. not being edgy, it was just good because it was finally about something
Villains sell toys and merch. You can't make an action figure of the public
this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
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